e viper crawling across their path, its
hideous head upraised in defiance, hissing venomously at their advance.

"See how angry it is! What a wicked glare in its eyes! See how its red
forked tongue darts at us in rage! Oh, is it not an evil omen to our
love?" half sobbed Dainty, drawing back and regarding the serpent with
fearful interest mixed with unwilling fascination.

"Stand aside, darling, and I will make short work of the evil omen!"
Love answered, gayly, as with two sharp blows of the racquet he carried
in his hand he destroyed the ominous intruder on their peace, and kicked
it aside, saying, soothingly: "Take that as an omen, darling, that I
will always thrust aside whatever interferes between us and happiness."

"Oh, you are so strong, so brave! I am not afraid of anything while you
are with me!" Dainty cried, clinging to the arm of her bold, handsome
lover, who smiled on her so lovingly as he gathered the beautiful roses
to replace those he had sent her that morning, and that were now
withering at her waist.

He took some of the fading flowers, kissed them, and placed them very
carefully in his pocket-book, saying:

"I will always keep them in memory of the happiest day of my life!"

Dainty's heart thrilled with joy at the words; then she shuddered at the
thought of how angry Olive and Ela would be because he loved her so
well.

"Perhaps they will hate me, although I have not done them any wrong. I
did not make him love me. It was God put it into his heart. But I can
guess how they will sneer and say I was bold and forward, trying to get
a rich husband. I wish he were poor--almost as poor as I am--so that I
could tell them I love him for himself alone, which is true, though they
will pretend never to believe it, in their jealous spite," ran her
perturbed thoughts; for she could not get Olive and Ela quite out of her
mind.

The dread of their spite and anger trailed its venom through her
happiness as the hideous viper had trailed across the sunny path, making
her cry out that it was evil-omened. Alas! that spite and jealousy were
destined to work her as deadly ill as the serpent's fangs.

It was this subtle dread tugging at Dainty's heart-strings that made her
murmur wistfully, as they retraced their steps:

"Let us keep our secret awhile yet, lest Olive and Ela should say I was
too easily won."

"What do you care for their opinion!" cried her lover, disdainfully.

"Oh, but you do not know how cr